Police: Iowa City man shot boy with paintballs

An Iowa City man is accused of shooting a child with paintballs in what he called retaliation after he said the boy trespassed on his property.

Police were called to the 1200 block of Laura Drive at about 12:39 p.m. Friday for a report of a burglary, according to Iowa City police complaints.

When officers arrived they spoke with the boy, who said Anthony J. Williams, 47, pounded on the doors and windows of his trailer, telling him to come to the door, the complaints state.

When the boy opened the door, Williams shot him with paintballs from an automatic paintball gun, police said. The boy told officers that Williams walked into the trailer and continued shooting at him as the boy backed up and covered his head behind the couch, the complaints state.

Officers found paint and exploded paintballs inside the home and on the front door and seized the boy's paint-covered clothes as evidence, the complaints state. The boy had several bruises as a result of the assault.

Williams then told the boy to "stay out of my trailer" and left, police said.

When officers spoke to Williams, he admitted to going to the boy's home and shooting at him with paintballs, but denied entering the trailer, according to the complaints.

Williams suspects the boy of trespassing on his property "and wanted to retaliate," police said.

Williams has been charged with first-degree burglary, a class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and third-degree harassment, a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.